Internships and Careers in English

An internship or co-op is an educational plan which integrates classroom experience in industrial, business, government, or community-service work situations. It allows students to translate academic principles to action, to test career interests, and to develop skills and abilities through carefully planned and supervised programs related to the degree they are seeking.

Close liaison between the university and the firm, institution, or agency providing the work experience is essential to a high-quality internship/co-op. The university will assume the responsibility of integrating this experience within the student’s curriculum.

A Few Pertinent Facts:

You may earn 3, 6, 9, or 12 credits, three of which could count as an elective (additional credits may also be used as elective credits).

If your internship will fulfill a Writing Studies track requirement, then your internship must be approved by the Writing Studies track coordinator, Dr. Chauna Craig.

You are eligible for an internship if you have completed 57 credits and have a 2.0 GPA.

For every 3 hours of credit you earn, you need to work 120 hours.

Three-hour internships are listed as ENGL 493-001; you may register for this class after you have received approval from the department and the dean.

Some internships are paid, but most are not.

Dr. Sell will be your internship supervisor and will help you with the application process.

The chair (Dr. Gian Pagnucci) and the dean of Humanities and Social Sciences (Dr. Asamoah) will also sign your application.

You will pay for internships credits just as you do any other credits.

You must submit a form as well as a proposal (Dr. Sell will help you with this) for approval.

English majors are only eligible for summer internships.

The deadline for your completed paperwork is March 15.

Benefits of Having an Internship:

They help with resume building; employers like them and the recommendation letters they generate.

They help you decide what you do and don’t want to do once you enter the “real” world.

They often lead to jobs.

They are usually wonderfully enriching learning experiences where students actually have fun.